The group met Marina at the Portrait Society of America's Conference in Philly earlier this year. Impressed with her talent and expertise in minimalist photography they organized the workshop and invited her to share her unique methods of creating fine quality photographic reference for portrait painting with lightweight, inexpensive equipment and accessories.

Traveling portrait artists know the burden of lugging heavy, bulky equipment, especially since airline restrictions have become limiting. Sittings often must be completed in a short amount of time and under less than ideal lighting conditions. Marina's minimalist approach helps relieve these burdens, allowing artists to focus more on their creative process

The workshop centered around the idea of the off-camera flash, a technique that is touted by photographers on such web sites as Strobist.com. A portrait painter herself, Marina has adapted many of the photographer-oriented techniques for the artist’s use, demonstrating how to vary the temperature, sharpness/softness, intensity and angle of light, using a variety of techniques and accessories. These accessories she has chosen carefully for their compatibility, versatility, and portability. Some of them she has designed and created herself out of inexpensive materials, at least one from a cereal box.

Recognizing that poor quality reference leads to poor quality art, Dieul emphasizes the importance of mastering photographic skills, but she is by no means encouraging the idea that painting is merely the slavish copying of photographs. On the contrary, she believes that by understanding how to create the highiest quality reference, artists can achieve more control over their artistic vision. In her own work, Dieul's commitment to excellent photographic reference is an integral first step in an artistic process that far surpasses the reference.

Following the all-day photo workshop the artists met the next day at the Philadelphia Sketch Club, where Marina agreed to pose for a live painting session.

Born into a family of French and Canadian artists, Marina Dieul received a degree in Fine Arts in France. Since that time she has won an impressive number of awards, most notably the Grand Prize at the Junction Art Festival in Toronto, Honorable Mention from the Portrait Society of Canada, and First Place in Dry Media Category from the Richeson Portrait and Figure Competition. Her work was also honored byThe Artist’s Magazine,International Artist Magazine,and the ARC Salon Competition. Dieul is an honorary member of the Gallery of Canadian Drawing Masters, Drawing Society of Canada. Recently her work was featured in the exhibition “A Portrait: The Face we Present to the World,” John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto. Her work combines sensitive and iconic portraits with still life and trompe-l’Oeil.

I’m a tonalist, and I’m never satisfied if I don’t have afull range of values, says Marina Dieul. “For thisreason, I like to add some white accessory, and tosculpt my subject with light on a dark background. Iworked with four colors: charcoal, and three colors ofconté: sanguine, red and white.”“This drawing is also about textures, the softness ofthe fur and hair against the roughness of the oldChinese bell, all this enveloping the mysterious gazeof this little girl.”Dieul studied Fine Arts in France but she is selftaughtconcerning figurative arts. She received an honorablemention in the Portrait Society of Canada’scompetition, won first prize in the Richeson Portraitand Figure competition, Grand Prize in Junction Artcompetition ( Toronto), and has been finalist in numerouscompetitions.She is a professional portrait artist specializing inbabies’ and children’s portraits.You can email her at marinadieul@yahoo.ca or seemore of her work at http://marinadieul.blogspot.com .

Marina Dieul was born in France. She showed great interest in painting and drawing from an early age, and her family encouraged her vocation. In early 2000, she moved to Montreal, Canada, where she now lives. She has since studied with Tim Stotz and Michelle Tully, former students of Ted Seth Jacobs. Her work has received numerous awards and honors, including the Kingston Prize, Salon International ( Greenhouse Gallery), the Artist Magazine, and has been extensively profiled in International Artist Magazine, among others. "Stroke of Genius " #2 and #3 (published by North Light Books) also features her work.

Most recently she won the William Bouguereau Best of Show Award, and first place in the drawing category at the Art Renewal Center Salon, and the Best of Show in the "Inspiring Figures" exhibition (Butler Institute of American Art). She is a member of the Portrait Society of Canada, and the Portrait Society of America.